Tea: Formosa Oolong
An Oolong Tea from Harney and Sons
| Brand: | Harney and Sons |
| Style: | Oolong Tea |
| Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
| Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
| Loose? | Loose |
| # Ratings: | 2 View All |
| Product page: | Formosa Oolong |
Reviewer: Speckledgiraffe
✓ 2 teas reviewed
✓ 1 of Oolong Tea
✓ 2 of Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)
✓ 2 of Harney and Sons
✓ 1 from Taiwan / Formosa
Review of Formosa Oolong
April 17th, 2018
| Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
| 8 of 10 | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 70 of 100 |
| Excellent | Good | Good Value |
1st steep - 212F and approximately 4 min : 1.5 t or 1 heaping teaspoon : 12oz water
I was a bit concerned at first because the box aroma has a strong syrupy cherry amaretto smell to it. But once brewed, this tea has a mellow but present good black tea smell, and maybe a little nutty towards the end. There was no trace of cherry anywhere in the brewed tea.
The flavor is thin immediately, but fades into lasting nuttiness and that old familiar tangy or restaurant oolong tea.
I'm very pleased with this tea for the price of it. It's what I would expect from a lower priced tea, and far outpaces Adagio's Formosa which just tasted like sucking on wet paper. That being said, Harney's Formosa is still a little lighter than I'd want my oolong to be at this steep. If I find anything different on the next steep, I'll make an edit to the review.
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Comments:
 | Alex Zorach wrote: on April 19th, 2018 |
Hello and welcome to RateTea, and thank you for your first review!
That's weird about the syrupy amaretto smell...I have experienced thigs like this and I sometimes wonder when this happens if there is some cross-contamination in the packing process. Some flavored teas have remarkably persistent aromas that can somehow get into things stored or packed near them; I've had that happen in my own cupboard and it's one reason I'm wary about keeping certain types of teas in stock.
On the other hand, some teas (including oolongs) can have remarkably potent, fleeting aromas that resemble fruits, nuts, or flowers. I've tried pure oolongs that smelled intensely like orchid, others like apricot or other fruit, and occasionally those aromas don't really come through much in the cup.
I unfortunately don't have many recommendations for you in the area of these darker formosa oolongs; I do drink a lot of oolong but I tend to like either the greener or more roasted oolongs.
But feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the site or want to talk about other types of tea that I might be more into! And I look forward to reading more of your reviews!
